Saturday, June 21, 2008

Okay, NOW we can panic

Inside Nova reports (via Nationals Farm Authority) that Nats top prospect 1B Chris Marrero did not sprain his ankle sliding into home plate on Wednesday. Instead, he BROKE his ankle sliding into home plate on Wednesday. Here's what the article has to say:

Potomac trainer Atsushi Toriida accompanied Marrero to see a Washington Nationals team physician in Washington D.C. on Friday.Toriida said Marrero will have surgery, but did not know when, or where, or if it will be season-ending. “We’re looking at at least four weeks of no activity,” Potomac manager Randy Knorr said.Marrero would not take questions when approached in Potomac’s training room.Baseball America ranks Marrero as the No. 1 prospect in the Washington farm system.He was integral to Potomac’s offense during its run to win the Northern Division’s first half. He hit .250 with 11 home runs and his 38 RBI were second on the team.This is Marrero’s first trip to the disabled list during his three-year career.To replace Marrero, Low-A Hagerstown and South Atlantic League first baseman Bill Rhinehart was promoted to Potomac.Rhinehart was hitting .295 with nine home runs and 56 RBI for Hagerstown.“I’m just happy that all the work I put in has gotten me this far,” Rhinehart said. “I’m going to do what I can to help the team win."

In other news, Langerhans was outrighted to AAA to make room for Garrett Mock (who I will see pitch tonight in person...seeing the Rangers tonight will make 29 out of the 30 teams I've seen in person).

And according to the same NFA article:

-RHP Craig Stammen was promoted from Potomac to Harrisburg-RHP Shairon Martis and LHP Tim Bittner were promoted from Harrisburg to Columbus

So we've got some good prospects being promoted from lower levels to higher ones. That Mike Stanton-for-Martis deal is looking pretty good right now, eh?

And this now puts me at 5/12 in the moves I would make if I were the GM (written at the beginning of June). Still waiting on a Kenny Lofton signing, though!